Laterally movable door safety catch



Feb. 26, 1952 c. LUTE LATERALLY MOVABLE DOOR SAFETYCATCH 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed May 16, 1947 Feb. 26, 1952 c. LUTE' 2,587,348

LATERALLY MOVABLE DOOR SAFETY CATCH Filed May 16. 194'? 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 C'QEL LUTE Patented Feb. 26, 1952 LATERALLY MOVABLE DOOR SAFETY CATCH Carl Lute, Hammond, Ind., assignor to The Youngstown Steel Door Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 16, 1947, Serial No. 748,493

6 Claims.

This invention relates to laterally movable doors and is directed more particularly to the prevention of forceful release of one of the levers of the actuating mechanism for said doors.

It is an object of this invention to provide laterally movable doors which shall have means for preventing the forceful release of one of the levers of the actuating mechanism for said doors.

A further object is to provide laterally movable doors having actuating mechanism embodying levers adapted to be automatically latched when the doors are closed and means which shall prevent forceful release of said levers.

A further object is to provide laterally movable doors which shall embody unitary means for automatically latching and preventing forceful release of levers of the actuating mechanism for said doors.

A further object is to provide laterally movable doors having actuating mechanism embodying levers carrying a latching detent adapted to engage catches on said doors to automatically latch said levers and also adapted to engage means on said doors to prevent forceful release of said levers.

Other objects of the invention will become clear as the description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Fig. l is a fragmentary elevationshowing a laterally movable door in closed position and embodying the instant invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. z'showing the prevention of forceful release of a lever of a door actuating mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the release of the lever so that the door may be moved laterally from the door opening.

The instant invention is an improvement upon the invention disclosed and claimed in the application of Wilfred A. Beauchamp, Serial No. 665,463, filed April 27, 1946, now Patent No. 2,442,031, granted May 25, 1948, to which reference is hereby made. As in the case of the invention of that application, the instant invention is shown for purposes of illustration only applied to a laterally movable door II) of a railway refrigerator car II formed with a door I opening I2 within which the door I0 is adapted to be seated in flush relationship with the car- The structure of the door, the door opening and a suitable sealing means for the margins of the door are well known to those skilled in the art and since these are described in some detail in the Beauchamp application to which reference has been made herein, it is believed that no further detailed description of these members will be necessary. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the sealing means (not shown) selected for the door will be compressed as the door is forced into the door opening in order to establish a tight seal.

The door III is supported for lateral movement relative to the car into and out of the door opening I2 and for longitudinal movement along the car by means of a pair of vertical bars I3 and I4 which are shown as formed of pipes. The bar I3 is mounted upon the door II] for rotation about its own axis by means of brackets I5, I6 and I1. The bar I4 is similarly rotatably mount ed upon the door by means of brackets I8, I9 and 20. I I CranksZI and'22 are secured to the upper and lower ends respectively of the bar I3 so as to rotate therewith. The upper crank 2| is rotatably mounted in a, carriage 23 which carries a roller 24 adapted to roll along a track 25 fastened to the car I I above the door opening I2. The lower crank 22 is rotatably mounted in a carriage 26 which is slidable upon a track 21 fastened to the car below the door opening.

Similarly, cranks 28 and 29 are secured to the upper and lower ends respectively of the bar I4 so as to rotate therewith. The upper crank 28 is rotatably mounted in a, carriage 30 which carries a roller 3I adapted to roll along the track 25 and which in combination with the roller 24 serves to support the weight of the door. The lower crank 29 is rotatably mounted in a carriage 30 slidably mounted upon the lower track 21.

In order to impart rotation to the bars I3 and I4 for the purpose of moving the door I0 laterally into and outvof the door opening I2 a lever 32 is secured to the bar I3 by means of a collar 33 to which the lever is pivotally fastened as indicated at 34. A lever 35 is also secured to the bar I4 by means of a collar 36 to which the lever 35 is pivotall fastened as indicated at 31. When rotation is thereby imparted to the bars I3 and I4 the levers 32 and 35 will be swung in a horizontal plane as will be clearly understood.

As set forth in the ,hereinabove identified Beauchamp application, a-large force is required in order to move the door laterally into the door opening by means of the horizontally swinging levers 32 and 35. That application discloses means whereby this large force may readily be apdesired to apply a force to these levers in order to force the door into the door opening against the compression of the sealing means for the door. At the time of application of this force to the levers 32 and 35 they are supported upon ledges 45 and 46 which preferably are formed integral with the brackets I 6 and [9,

respectively. The lever 38 is adapted to be locked against outward swinging ,movement when the door has been forced into the door opening. This is accomplished automatically by the engagement of a lug 41 on the leverwith a catch 48 pivotally mounted as indicated at 48 upon a member 58 secured within a recess 5! in the door.

It has been discovered that the compression of the sealing means for the door Where such means is employed orthe pressure of the door against the door opening where sealing'means is not employed sets up an outward pressure against the door and through the latter against the actuating mechanism for the door. Asa consequence of this outward pressure the lug 4'! on the lever bears forcefully against the catch 48. It has been discovered, moreover, that trainmen and shippers frequently resort to hammer blows in order to disengage the catch 48 from the lug 4?. On account of the large force with which the lug 4'! bearsa'gainst the catch 48 the release of the catch from the lug in this manner causes the lever 38 to swing outwardly with such force as may injure any onestanding in front of the lever.

The instant invention obviates the possibility of injury from this source. To this-end a hookshaped member 52 is provided and as -more clearly shown in Figs. 2-4, inclusive, -of the drawing is preferably formed as an integral part of the catch 48. The hook-shaped member 52 'lies below the catch in spaced relationship thereto and extends outwardly beyond the catch. Accordingly, the catch 48 andthe hook-shaped member 52 swingas a unit about thepivot 49. The outward spacing of the hook-- shapedmember from the catch provides ,space so that the lug 4! on thelever 38 may .move between the hook-shaped member and the catch.

The operation of the hook-shaped member 52 to prevent forceful release of the lever '38 when it is desired to move the door out of the door opening is clearly illustrated in Figs. 24,. inclusive, of the drawings. In Fig. 2 of the drawings the door is illustrated in closed position and lever 38 is shown in locked position. This locked position hasv automatically occurred Whenlever 38 has been forced toward the door by the engagement of lug 4'! with catch 48. Assuming that the door is now to be moved out of .the door opening and catch 48 will be .released from lug 41 by means of hammer blows against the catch,-it will be apparent that the blows will cause the catch to swing upwardly about its-pivot 49. However, since the hookshaped member 52 is. formed as a unit with catch 48, it will also swing upwardly during the upward swinging movement of the catch. At the instant when the hammer blows cause disengagement of the catch from the lug 41 the hook-shaped member 52 will lie in the path of outward movement of the lug 41 so that it will engage lug 41 as the lever flies outwardly. This is clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Thus, although the lever 38 flies outwardly with'great force, its interception by the hook-shaped member 52 will prevent any injury to the operator.

To release the lever 38 from the hook-shaped member 52 so that the lever may be disengaged from 'the horizontally swinging levers 32 and '35 and permit operation of the latter to complete the movement 'of .the door laterally from the dooropening, it is only necessary to move lever 38 toward the door slightly. The instant that thehook-shaped member 52 becomes disengaged from the lug 41 the hook-shaped member and the catch will fall by the action of gravity so that without further action on the part of the operator the lug 4! will be completely disengaged and the movement of the door out of the door opening may be completed. This step in the operation is clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

It will be apparent from the description of the last-mentioned step in operation of the mechanism that the hook-shaped member 52 does not interfere. with the automatic locking engagement between lug 41 and the'catch 48 when the door is forced into the door opening.

It will be apparent that numerous changes and modifications in the details of the invention will be clear to those skilled in-the art. It is intended, thereforathat-all such modifications and changes he comprehended within this invention, which isto be limited only by'the-scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a sliding door for railway cars having. a wall provided with a door opening, means embodying vertically disposed bars rotatably mounted on said door for supporting said door for longitudinal movement along said car and transverse movement into and out of said door opening, horizontally swingable levers pivotally mounted on said bars for imparting rotation thereto, a vertically swingable lever on said door, said latter lever being operable to apply a force against said I first mentioned levers-to impart swinging movement thereto andforce said door into said door opening, locking means on said door adaptedto lock said vertically swingable lever against the pressure created by forcing said door intosaid door opening, and a hook-shaped member on said door which is engaged by said vertically swingable lever and limits forceful outward swinging movement of said vertically swingable lever caused by said pressure after said loc ing means is forcibly released fromsaid latter lever.

2. Ina sliding door for railway cars having a wall provided with a door opening, means embodying vertically disposed bars rotatably mounted onsaid door for supporting said door for longitudinal movement along said car and transverse movement into and out of said door opening, horizontally swingable levers mounted on said barsfor imparting rotation thereto, a vertically swingable lever on said door, said latter lever being operable to apply a force against said first mentioned levers to impart swinging movementthereto and force said door into said door opening, a vertically swingable catch on said door, a lug on said vertically swingable lever adapted to engagesaid. catch and lock said lever against the pressure created by forcing said door into said door opening, and a pivoted hook-shaped member on said door actuated by the forcible release of said catch from said lug caused by said pressure into engagement with said lug to limit forceful outward swinging movement of said vertically swingable lever.

3. In a sliding door for railway cars having a wall provided with a, door opening, means embodying at least one vertically disposed bar rotatably mounted on said door for supporting said door for longitudinal movement along said car and transverse movement into and out of said door opening, horizontally swingable lever mounted on said bar for imparting rotation thereto, a vertically swingable lever on said door, said latter lever being operable to apply a force against said first mentioned lever to impart swinging movement thereto and force said door into said door opening, a unitary catch and hookshaped member pivotally mounted on said door for vertical swinging movement, said hookshaped member lying below and in spaced relationship to said catch, and a lug on said vertically swingable lever adapted to engage said catch and lock said lever against the pressure created by forcing said door into said door opening, said hook-shaped member being swung into the path of movement of said lug so as to engage said lug after said catch is forcibly released from said lug to limit forceful outward swinging movement of said vertically swingable lever caused by said pressure, said hook-shaped member extending beyond said catch a distance suilicient to permit passage of said lug therebetween.

4. In a sliding door for railway cars having a wall provided with a door opening, means embodying a bar rotatably mounted on said door for moving said door into and out of said door opening, means for imparting rotation to said bar to force said door into said door opening, said means comprising a vertically swingable lever, locking means on said door adapted to lock said lever against the pressure created by forcing said door into said door opening and a hook-shaped member on said door which is engaged by said vertically swingable lever and limits forceful outward swinging movement of said lever caused by said pressure after said locking means is forcibly released from said lever.

5. In a sliding door for railway cars having a. wall provided with a door opening, means embodying a bar rotatably mounted on said door for moving said door into and out of said door opening, means for imparting rotation to said bar to force said door into said door opening, said means comprising a vertically swingable lever, a vertically swingable unitary catch and hookshaped member on said door, said hook-shaped member lying below and in spaced relationship to said catch, said catch being adapted to look said lever against the pressure created by forcing said door into said door opening, said hookshaped member being swung into the path of movement of said lever to engage said lever after said catch is forcibly released from said lever to limit forceful outward swinging movement of said lever caused by said pressure, said hookshaped member etxending beyond said catch.

6. In a railway car having a wall member provided with a door opening and a door member. means embodying a vertically disposed bar rotatably mounted on said door member for imparting movement thereto into and out of said door opening, a lever pivotally mounted on said bar, said lever being swingable horizontally to impart rotation to said bar, and vertically swingable lever mounted on one of said members, said latter lever being operable to apply a force against said first mentioned lever to impart swinging movement thereto and force said door member into said door opening, locking means on said one member adapted to lock said vertically swingable lever against the pressure created by forcing said door member into said door opening, and a hookshaped member on said one member which is engaged by said vertically swingable lever and limits forceful outward swinging movement of said vertically swingable lever caused by said pressure after said locking means is forcibly released from said latter lever.

CARL LUTE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

